A Quick Note & Excerpts RE: King’s Secret to Dreaming / Changing / Living in 2025 January 15, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Life, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Clarence B. Jones, Mahalia Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr, Yoga Sutra 3.35, Yoga Sutra 3.49-3.51, Yoga Sutra 3.52
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Many blessings to everyone, especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela. May everyone breathe deeply and savor the richness of having your dreams come true!

May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!

For Those Who Missed It: This is a repost.

Today we celebrate the birthday
of a man who believed in angels and dreams.
We know he believed in the latter,
because he told us straight up,
“I have a dream…”
He was a man of faith,
who believed he could hear God’s voice (when Mahalia Jackson sings).
But did you know that
Dr. Martin Luther King
believed in living a three dimensional life?

— the beginning of my 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday class

Even though the United States will officially celebrate on Monday, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born today in 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Click on the excerpt title below for my first post (ever) about MLK (or you can click here to see a plethora of my related posts).

Happy Wisdom Day: To Noble Kings

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends – ”

“Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream.”

[Clarence B. Jones to the person beside him: “These people out there, they don’t know it, but they’re about ready to go to church.”]

“So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

— words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahalia Jackson, and Clarence B. Jones on Wednesday, August 28, 1963

Please join me today (Wednesday, January 15^th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “01152023 King’s Secret to Dreaming”]

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

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Understanding [Your] Karma & Putting Cash in Your Karmic Bank Account (a revised post-practice Monday post) January 13, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, Movies, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Super Heroes, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Anstalten Österåker, “Pam” Hendricks, Österåker Prison, Österåkersanstalten), Beverly Mahr, Carl Perkins, Dr. Reginald “Reggie” Ray, Ecclesiastes, Folsom State Prison, Glen Sherley, Gordon Jenkins, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, kamma, Kamma Sutta, Karma, Karma Yoga, kriya, kriya yoga, Little Brother Montgomery, Martin Luther King Jr, Merle Haggard, prison, saṃskāra, San Quentin State Prison, Sir Isaac Newton, Soledad State Prison, Swami Jnaneshvara, Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati, Thannissaro Bhikkhu, The Tennessee Three (music), The Tennessee Two (music), vāsanā, Yoga Sutra 2.1, Yoga Sutra 2.12
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May your mind-body-spirit be well, be great, and be in harmony with your thoughts, words, and deeds.

This is a revised post for Monday, January 13^th. In an ongoing effort to not throw the baby out with the bath water*, I have mixed some new quotes with a post from 2024. Some formatting, class details, and links have also been added or updated. The 2025 prompt question was, “Is the way you live your life a reflection of something people taught you or a reflection of your life experience?” NOTE: This post contains a passing reference to suicide.

You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“‘Monks, I will teach you new & old kamma, the cessation of kamma, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of kamma. Listen and pay close attention. I will speak.

‘Now what, monks, is old kamma? The eye is to be seen as old kamma, fabricated & willed, capable of being felt. The ear… The nose… The tongue… The body… The intellect is to be seen as old kamma, fabricated & willed, capable of being felt. This is called old kamma.

‘And what is new kamma? Whatever kamma one does now with the body, with speech, or with the intellect: This is called new kamma.

‘And what is the cessation of kamma? Whoever touches the release that comes from the cessation of bodily kamma, verbal kamma, & mental kamma: This is called the cessation of kamma.’”

— quoted from “Kamma Sutta: Action” (SN 35.145), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013

This present moment is the culmination of all the previous moments and the beginning of all the moments that come after it. Mindfulness-based practices — like the philosophies of Yoga and Buddhism — are an opportunity to observe cause-and-effect in action. Throughout a practice, we note how one thing can lead to another. Even in this moment, you can notice…

How an inhale leads to an exhale and an exhale leads to an inhale;
How moving with the breath allows us to notice how one pose leads to another;
How what we do in one part of our body affects another part of the body (and vice versa). For example, notice how stability in the lower body allows you to extend your upper body and how extending your upper body allows you to stretch out the lower body.

If you’ve practice with me a bit, you have probably heard the aforementioned example a lot. (And, hopefully, you’ve tested it out for yourself.) You have probably also heard me state, “What happens in the body, happens in the mind; what happens in the mind, happens in the body; and both affect the breath… So we harness the power of the breath to affect the body and the mind.” At various points throughout the year, I reference saṃskāra (“mental impressions”) and vāsanā (“dwelling places” of our habits) and encourage people to notice how what happened to our hearts (and ourselves) in the past informed this present moment and how what happens in this present moment — i.e., what we do in this present moment — informs our future moments. All of this applies to our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.

What people may not immediately realize is that all of these things are related (or can be related) to karma and kriyā, two Sanskrit words that can be translated into English as “work” or “effort”.

“Although both kriya and karma can be translated as ‘action,’ there is a vast difference between them. Both are derived from the verb root kri…, which means ‘to do.’ Kriya refers to an action in process as well as to the dynamic force propelling the action. Karma refers to completed action. Unless a fresh wave of action is exerted on karma, it remains unchanged. Karma is an unchanging field of completed action waiting to be harvested by the performer of the action, while kriya is ever-moving, ever-changing energy. Kriya yoga is yoga in action, not yoga of action, and should not be confused with karma yoga.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

While karma (or kamma, in Pali) can have two different definitions in Buddhism — and while many Western practitioners of Yoga may be most familiar with some idea of “karma” — sacred texts about the Yoga Philosophy use two different words for the two different types of action/work. Karma is the effect or consequence, while kriyā is the cause. Kriyā is an ongoing process and also the steps within the process; it is active. You could also think of karma as fate and kriyā as destiny; where the former is unchangeable and the latter as the journey to your destination.

Some traditions take the latter concept a step further and specifically use kriyā in relation to internal action or work and speak of karma when referring to external work. In some ways, this dovetails with Yoga Sūtra 2.1, which defines kriyā yoga (“union in action”) as a combination of the final three niyamas (internal “observations”): discipline/austerity, self-study, and trustful surrender to a higher power (other than one’s self). In this context, kriyā yoga is a purification ritual and, as I mention throughout the year, there are several religious and philosophical observations that would fit within this rubric (including Lent, Yom Kippur and Passover, the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, and the holy month of Ramaḍān).

Additionally, in the Kundalini Yoga tradition, “kriyā” is the term applied to sequences with specific energetic intentions.

This is where it gets (even more) convoluted, because karma can also be the intention. Classically, when we talk about karma, we talk about planting seeds and things coming into fruition. So, one way to think of it is that we plant seeds that already have within them the image of the final product and kriyā is what we do to nurture and harvest what’s been planted — and/or what we do when we need to uproot the poisonous weeds.

“The literal meaning kriya is ‘verb.’ Every verb is representative of a distinct process or function and no process of function reaches fruition without a doer.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

After the Saturday practice in 2024, someone asked me if “karma” was going to be our philosophical focus for 2024. At first, I was going to answer no. Then I thought, not exactly. Yet, when I really sat with the question, the actual answer was, sort of and partially. During the Saturday practices in 2024, we focused on how our past moments lead us to these present moments (karma) and how the things we do in this present moment can lead to certain future moments (kriyā) — and we used the chakra system as a paradigm for understanding where we are, how we got here, and where we’re going (or, all the places we could go).

Just to clarify, this practice is a moving meditation with some self-study, contemplation, and reflection. While I do not put a lot of focus/emphasis on the concept of past lives and reincarnation — although those ideas do make up part of the foundation of karma/kamma in the Buddhist and Yoga philosophies — there are times when we reflect on generational trauma — and, of course, there will always be stories… and music.

“[Verse 1]
I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when
I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on
But that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

On January 13, 1968, Johnny Cash, June Carter (who wouldn’t become a Cash until March 1, 1968), Carl Perkins, The Tennessee Three, and the Statler Brothers performed and recorded two (2) concerts at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California. Although, the subsequent live album made these performances the most well known, they were not the first time Johnny Cash performed at Folsom Prison, nor the last time he performed at a prison… in California, in the United States, or in the world. In fact, he performed at least 30 prison concerts in the United States — including one at Correctional Training Facility (also known as Soledad State Prison) in 1980. He also recorded live albums in places like San Quentin State Prison (now known as San Quentin Rehabilitation Center) at Österåker Prison (known as Anstalten Österåker and Österåkersanstalten), north of Stockholm, Sweden.

We could just listen (or listen and move) to the music. But, let’s put a little “cash” in our karmic bank account and look at how the performances, as well as much of the music — not to mention the stories behind the music and how the concerts came about — are great illustrations of cause-and-effect and of karma and kriyā.

“[Verse 2]
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

While serving in the United States Air Force in Germany (~ 1951/1952), Johnny Cash saw the film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (released in U. S. May 18, 1951) and he was inspired to write a song. Keep in mind that, even though he had more than his fair share of troubles and spent some time in county (or city) jail, he never served time as a prisoner. (Unlike Merle Haggard, who would be incarcerated and in the audience during at least one prison concert.) Mr. Cash did, however, have an imagination. So, as he sat not far from Landsberg Prison (in Bavaria), inspired by the film about Folsom and the instrumental song “Crescent City Blues” by Little Brother Montgomery (1930) as well as the lyrics by Gordon Jenkins (released by Beverly Mahr in 1953), he thought about the worst thing someone could do to wind up in prison. Keep in mind that his “worst thing” was based on his previous experiences.

Then he wrote a song that (he said) he never expected to get as big as it got: “Folsom Prison Blues”. Johnny Cash went on to write songs about prison life, in general, and about San Quentin (1969) — the latter of which he also sang as “Österåker”. In between cobbling together one of his most famous hits and some of those other prison songs, Mr. Cash decided he wanted to go to prison… not to serve time, but to serve the inmates.

By playing a series of concerts, he and the other musicians were giving back, doing a little karma yoga. The songs they sang simultaneously lifted the spirits of the inmates and spoke to/of the experiences of the inmates. In some cases, the songs, the concerts, and the live albums changed the way people perceived Johnny Cash and the inmates. They also changed the way some of the inmates saw themselves. For instance, during the first July 13^th concert, the inmates at Folsom barely reacted to the music, because history had taught them that making too much noise would result in a loss of privileges. But, the musicians and their producers needed/wanted the crowd reactions for the live albums. So, perceptions and expectations changed. Consider how you would feel if you spent your days (and nights) suppressing your natural reactions because you feared punishment. Consider how you feel knowing the cheers, laughs, and applause on the live recording were re-mixed after the concerts.

The life of Glen Sherley is another example of the effect of the concerts. It is also an example of how past actions inform present actions and influence future actions. Mr. Sherley was an inmate at Folsom, who had written a song. Someone played Johnny Cash a tape of the song, thinking the morale of the inmates might be boosted if the “Man in Black” referenced the song and the songwriter. Johnny Cash and the other musicians took the idea a step further: they learned and sang the song. Glen Sherley had no idea the popular musicians were going to sing his song. Neither could he know how much his life was going to change because of that simple act; but, change it did. Even while still in prison, Glen Sherley became a popular songwriter who eventually released his own album and (for a brief period) performed under the House of Cash label.

However, despite being given a “second act” and a different way of life, Glen Sherley couldn’t handle it. He had a long history of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and other illegal tendencies. Johnny Cash dismissed him from the House of Cash out of an abundance of caution (because people feared he would follow through on some of his threats) and, in 1978, within 7 years of his release from Folsom, those fears came to fruition when Glen Sherley shot a man while he (Mr. Sherley) was high. A couple of days later, after telling his daughter couldn’t go back to jail, the fledging musician died from a suicide. He was 42 years old.

Johnny Cash understood that, given a chance, some people could break the cycle of violence and poverty. He also understood his affect on people like Glen Sherley and on people who would judge someone like Glen Sherley. Understanding cause-and-effect is part of the reason he sometimes said he shouldn’t have singled Glen Sherley out. It is also the reason Mr. Cash met Mr. Sherley when he was released, gave him a job; and (ultimately) paid for his funeral.

“Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime
But is there because he’s a victim of the times”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

As they do with Martin Luther King, Jr (especially around his birthday and the holiday dedicated to him), people often quote and/or coopt Johnny Cash’s legacy. Throughout his life, he told people not to put words in his mouth — a message his children continue spreading to this day — and to, instead, pay attention to what he said and what he did. If we do that, if we really listen to what he said and what he did, we find that Johnny Cash advocated for the poor and the disenfranchised. He wrote protest songs about people in prison and how they were treated (before and after they were released); the Vietnam War (and war in general); and the oppression of Native Americans. Then he backed those lyrics up with actions/deeds.

I can’t help but wonder what he would say about other musicians being investigated and incarcerated because of their lyrics and/or the political climate here in the U. S. and around the world. Neither can I blame someone with different views from mine doing the same thing. I think such thoughts are natural, human, inclinations. However, I am very careful to come back to his words, his action, his karma, and (in a way) his kriyā.

His kriyā, because the music is still alive and still actively acting on the world.

“Each week we lose a hundred fine young men

And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin’ that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Believin’ that we all were on their side

… Well, there’s things that never will be right, I know
And things need changin’ everywhere you go
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You’ll never see me wear a suit of white

Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything’s okay
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
’Til things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

Given all of the above, take a moment to consider your first lesson in “karma”.

Was it called that or was “cause-and-effect” first taught to you in a different way, with different words (and in a different language)? Maybe it was taught to you in the scientific way. Remember this is just a different spin on the laws of nature and Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. According to Yoga Sūtra 2.12: kleśamūlah karmāśayo dŗşţādŗşţjanmavedanīyah / “The reservoir of our actions is rooted in affliction/pain that is experienced in seen and unseen lives.” So, take a moment to consider that how you view all of this is based on your previous experiences and lessons (about the subject at hand and, also, about the historical and cultural context of these concepts). Now, take a moment to consider how you use this information (about yourself) when you are really grounded in it. Meaning:

What do you believe (or not believe)?
How much of what you believe (or don’t believe) is based on lessons you were taught (or not taught) and how much is based on what you’ve experienced/learned in the meanwhile?
How do your thoughts, words, and deeds reflect your beliefs?

Just like I wonder about his thoughts on current events, I wonder about Johnny Cash’s first lesson in karma. Again, he never served time in prison, but he spent time in prisons and that time was spent serving others — which I consider a form of karma yoga. He put his beliefs into action and is often quoted as saying, “ … I’m the biggest sinner of them all….” Then, in the very next breath, he would talk about his faith in Jesus. The Man in Black wrote a song called “The Man in Black” and, also, a historical novel called The Man in White (about how Saul became Paul). So, it is possible that his first lesson in “karma” was similar to mine, someone quoting or paraphrasing “the Teacher” (King Solomon) in Ecclesiastes 11. Even though he may not have called it karma yoga, Johnny Cash spent a lot of time doing things that came back to him.

What are you doing and how is coming back to you?

“Cast your bread upon the water and it shall return to you.”

— My great-grandmother Pam, quoting Ecclesiastes 11:1

“The law of Karma is a universal process, whereby causes lead to effects. This is something that all of us are already familiar with, whether or not we use the word Karma to describe it. Newton’s third law of motion, that every action leads to a reaction, is an application of the law of Karma.”

— Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

The playlist used in previous practices is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“01132021 Karma Cash I”]

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

Looking for more? You can scroll through all my posts tagged with karma or check out one of the posts highlighted below:

It’s Bach’s Day Too! March 21, 2020

*NOTE: A Reminder About Separating the Baby from the Dirty Bathwater

### GIVE ###

EXCERPT: “A Simple, Radical, ‘Bad to the Bone’ Man” January 11, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Meditation, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, activism, Cardinal August Bea, Dr. Susannah Heschel, habits, kabbalah, Martin Luther King Jr, mitzvot, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, samskāras, Selma to Montgomery, vasanas, Vatican II
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Happy New Year! May your mind-body-spirit be well, be great, and be in harmony with your thoughts, words, and deeds.

There was no Zoom class on Saturday, January 11^th; however, people on the Saturday mailing list received a practice related to the post excerpted below. CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE FOR MORE. You can request an audio recording of previous practices via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“Our concern is not how to worship in the catacombs but how to remain human in the skyscrapers.”

— quoted from “Part V: The Meaning of this Hour – 40. Religion in Modern Society” in Between God and Man by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (b. 01/11/1907)

FTWMI: A Simple, Radical, “Bad to the Bone” Man

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

### FEET ###

A [Quick] Note & Excerpt About History and Dreams August 28, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Hope, One Hoop, Pain, Suffering, Tragedy.
Tags: 988, Democratic National Convention, Emmett Till, Florida, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, history, Mahalia Jackson, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Martin Luther King Jr, samskāras, Second Battle of Bull Run, Second Battle of Manassas, Strom Thurmond, Texas, vasanas
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and/or cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).

Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

“It may be allowed that examples of virtue elevate the soul, and are applicable in the moral instruction of children for impressing excellence upon their minds. But the destinies of peoples and states, their interests, relations, and the complicated tissue of their affairs, present quite another field. Rulers, Statesmen, Nations, are wont to be emphatically commended to the teaching which experience offers in history. But what experience and history teach is this,— that peoples and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it. Each period is involved in such peculiar circumstances, exhibits a condition of things so strictly idiosyncratic, that its conduct must be regulated by considerations connected with itself, and itself alone. Amid the pressure of great events, a general principle gives no help. It is useless to revert to similar circumstances in the Past. The pallid shades of memory struggle in vain with the life and freedom of the Present.”

— quoted from the “II. REFLECTIVE HISTORY. (3) Critical History – the German method of modern times.” section of “INTRODUCTION. Various methods of treating History: Original, Reflective and Philosophical.” in Lectures on the Philosophy of History by G. W. F. Hegel, translated by J. Sibree, M. A.

Yes, we are back to Hegel.

We are back to Hegel, in part, because of my theory about individuals learning from history (versus the aforementioned “peoples”) and, in part, because of history related to this date.

Today is a day when I typically focus on historical events, from 1862 to 1963, related to how we deal with difference, imbalance, and injustice in United States. I could go back as early as 1565 (earlier, if we were to include the rest of the world) and can easily push as far forward as 1968 or 1996 (again, if we just stick to the United States). However, today, I come back to Hegel and these events with new questions:

What if the issue isn’t that we aren’t learning from history?

What if the issue is that we aren’t learning the right lessons?

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT BELOW for the past prologue.

Next Generation Dreaming & FTWMI: Still Dreaming the Heart’s Wildest Dream (the “missing” Monday post)

Please join me today (Wednesday, August 28^th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08282021 The Heart’s Wildest Dream”]

Extreme heat (and traumatic events) can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, they can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

### Consider Your View ###

A Little Salt (the “missing” Tuesday post) March 12, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Faith, Food, Gandhi, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Mantra, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: A. R. Rahman, Ahimsa, Andrew Jackson, Civil Rights, Gospel According to Matthew, Jawaharlal Nehru, Jesus, Kamala Nehru, Khatija Rahman, Martha Nussbaum, Martin Luther King Jr, Mohandas Gandhi, niyamas, Raheema Rahman, Ray Cassin, salt, Salt Satyagraha, salt tax, satya, satyagraha, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, Shriman Narayan, Sunil Khilnani, tapas, Theodore Roosevelt, U2, Valji Govindji Desai, yamas
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“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent and/or the 19-Day Fast. May we cultivate peaceful possibilities throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!

This is the “missing” post for Tuesday, March 12^th. It is a compilation post, which includes some previously posted content. You can request an audio recording of a related practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“‘…the book I’ve been working on for about 10 years, and that I’m in the midst of trying to finish now, is about that; about how we can have a culture that cultivates the spirit of individual dissent.

‘I think it can be done. It can be done by having public examples of that. Gandhi, when he was on the salt march, had everyone singing the song of Rabindranath Tagore, which goes, “Walk alone, walk alone …” Now there’s some paradox in that, with a million people on the march! But he was cultivating the thought that each individual has dignity, and the dignity consists partly in the willingness to stand up to authority.’

Gandhi’s leadership of a march protesting about the salt tax imposed by India’s British colonial administrators is a vivid example of the kind of civic formation [Martha] Nussbaum is talking about. But she has homelier examples, too.”

— quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald article “Interview: Martha Nussbaum – As attitudes harden towards religion, the American philosopher turns her attention to the nurturing of faith, freedom and respect for difference.” by Ray Cassin (pub. September 1, 2012)

In the mid-1880s, the British East India Company (and then the British government) enacted a series of salt taxes, which made it illegal to produce or possess salt without paying a tax. By 1930, that tax represented 8.2% of the British Raj tax revenue. Even if you lived in a coastal town like Dandi, you had to pay the tax, or suffer the consequences. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi decided salt would be the focus of a direct action, non-violent mass protest.

As I mentioned last month, some people laughed when Gandhi decided salt would be the focus of his satyagraha. People who are world leaders today scoffed back then, because they didn’t get it and they didn’t have his insight and vision. However, Gandhi wasn’t the first radical leader to emphasize the importance of salt. Jesus did it, in the Gospel According to Matthew (5:13 – 14), when he referred to his disciples as “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” In both cases, the teacher whose name would become synonymous with a worldwide religious movement indicated that there was a purpose, a usefulness, to the disciples and their roles (as salt and as light). I think it’s important to remember that Jesus was speaking to fishermen, farmers, and shepherds — people who were intimately familiar with the importance of salt (and light). They knew that (different kinds of) salt can be used for flavoring, preservation, fertilization, cleansing, and destroying, and that it could be offered as a sacrifice. They knew, as Gandhi would later point out, that people in hot, tropical climates needed salt for almost everything — including healing.

Gandhi’s “audience” was different. He was living in a time of industrialization and the beginnings of these modern times in which we find ourselves. He knew that people laughed and scoffed, because they didn’t completely understand the usefulness and vitalness of salt. He understood that some people took salt for granted. Even within the pages of Young India (which he used to educate and inform people), he debated with experts about the benefits and risks of salt consumption. He also knew that some people — inside and outside of British-ruled India — just didn’t get the inhumanity of charging people a tax for something that they could obtain (literally) outside their front door; something that was part of the very fiber of their being.

Remember, the human body is 60 – 75% water… and most of that water is saturated with salt.

“Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life. It is the only condiment of the poor. Cattle cannot live without salt. Salt is a necessary article in many manufactures. it is also a rich manure.

There is no article like salt, outside water, by taxing which the State can reach even the starving millions, the sick, the maimed and the utterly helpless. The salt tax constitutes the most inhuman poll tax that the ingenuity of man can devise.”

— quoted from a letter by M. K. Gandhi, printed in Young India, Vol. XII, Ahmedabad: February 27, 1930

From Wednesday, March 12^th until Saturday, April 5^th, 1930, Gandhi walked over 240 miles (390 kilometers) so that he could reach the sea shore in Dandi in order to break an unjust law. He woke up in Dandi, on Sunday, April 6^th, prayed and illegal made salt at 8:30 AM. The satyagraha against the salt tax would continue for almost a year. It would, ultimately, be one of the inspirations for Civil Rights Movement in the United States and would be one of the first times that women were actively involved in a protest in India. Kamala Nehru, the young wife of the man who would eventually become India’s first Prime Minister, was one of those women. She was also an advocate for women being involved in the movement and in politics. (So, it is not surprising that her daughter and grandson also became prime ministers.)

Over 60,000 Indians (including Gandhi) would be jailed before it was all said and done. But, when Gandhi began the march he was only accompanied by 78 men devoted to truth (satya).

“Truth (Satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian Movement ‘Satyagraha’ , that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and gave up the use of the phrase ‘passive resistance’ in connection with it, so much so that even in English writing we often avoided it and used instead the word ‘Satyagraha’ itself or some other equivalent English phrase.”

— quoted from “12. THE ADVENT OF SATYAGRAHA” in Satyagraha in South Africa by M. K. Gandhi (as published in THE SELECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI, VOLUME TWO, translated from the Gujarati by Valji Govindji Desai; General Editor Shriman Narayan)

Even though thousands would join the movement, the 78 men who started the march with Gandhi (and many who would join in along the way) were people who practiced a dedication to ahimsa (non-violence/non-harming) and satya (truth) — the first two yamas (external restraints or universal commandments) of the 8-Limb Philosophy of Yoga. Since Gandhi once said, “God is Truth” and another time said “Truth is God,” there was also a commitment to recognizing a day-to-day awareness of a higher purpose, meaning in life, and supreme consciousness. This is one way to look at bramacharya, yet another yama.

Along with the business and logistics of the campaign, people participating in the march had to sleep outside, often wore a single white garment, and were dependent on villagers along the way to provide food and water for them to wash up. This means they also practiced asteya (non-stealing), aparagraha (non-attachment), saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), and tapas (discipline/austerity). Furthermore, they chanted and sang devotionals to keep their spirits up; which can also be a way of practicing isvarapranidhana (releasing one’s efforts back to the source).

All told, the satyagrahis actively practiced all five (5) of the yamas (external restraints/universal commandments) and four (4) of the five (5) niyamas (internal observations) which make up the ethical component of the philosophy of yoga. One could even argue that, since people had to consider their feelings on the subject and make the decision to join the movement, they were also practicing svadyaya (self-study), which is the niyama I did not include above. Either way you break it down, Gandhi and the first 78 men set the tone for the movement. They were steeped in a way of life and a way of thinking that enabled them to respond rather than to react and to work towards change without being attached to the results.

Jawaharlal Nehru — who would go on to become India’s first Prime Minister — was one of the people who initially scoffed at Mahatma Gandhi’s idea to focus on salt. But, he and his wife participated in the movement. They saw the powerful effect of the movement firsthand. In fact, he indicated that the important legacy of the Salt Satyagraha was how it changed the mindset of the Indian populace.

“Of course these movements exercised tremendous pressure on the British Government and shook the government machinery. But the real importance, to my mind, lay in the effect they had on our own people, and especially the village masses. Poverty and a long period of autocratic rule, with its inevitable atmosphere of fear and coercion, had thoroughly demoralised and degraded them…. Non-cooperation dragged them out of this mire and gave them self-respect and self-reliance; they developed the habit of cooperative action; they acted courageously and did not submit so easily to unjust oppression; their outlook widened and they began to think a little in terms of India as a whole….”

— quoted from a letter addressed to Lord Lothian [Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian], dated Badenweiler, January 17, 1936, by Jawaharlal Nehru (published in A Bunch of Old Letters: Being mostly written to Jawaharlal Nehru and some written by him, selected and edited by Jawaharlal Nehru, with an introduction by Sunil Khilnani

Several American leaders, including two former presidents (Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt) have been quoted as saying that one can tell if a person is worth their salt (or not worth their salt) by their willingness to stand up for what is right and/or to put themselves at risk on behalf of a great cause. Fast forward to the United States in the 1960’s and we find another example of people engaging in a satyagraha. Once again, people gained agency through a faith-driven, grassroots movement.

Fast forward to today and we see lots of grassroots efforts and lots of agency being given to the populace. Some of these more modern movements may be based on the concept of non-violence; but, unfortunately, they are not always firmly-grounded in the practice.

“Such a universal force [Satyagraha] necessarily makes no distinction between kinsmen and strangers, young and old, man and woman, friend and foe. The force to be so applied can never be physical. There is in it no room for violence. The only force of universal application can, therefore, be that of ahimsa or love. In other words it is soul force.

Love does not burn others, it burns itself.”

— quoted from “Some Rules of Satyagraha” by M. K. Gandhi, printed in Young India, Vol. XII, Ahmedabad: February 27, 1930

(NOTE: The general explanation and rules were followed by a section of rules of conduct for various situations, including for “an Individual” and for “a Prisoner.”)

“Agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love; it’s what theologians would call the love of God working in the lives of men.”

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (11/17/1957)

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04062021 Salt Satyagraha”]

NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes extra videos of featured songs.

“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)

“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)

— quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics in the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)

CORRECTION: I have previously misspoken the time when Gandhi broke the salt tax law. 8:30 AM, local time, appears to be the correct time.

### Be we are all accountable for our own thoughts, words, and deeds. ###

Truth, Love, and Reconciliation (mostly the music, quotes, & blessings) March 3, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Changing Perspectives, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 19-Day Fast, Feast Day of Saint Katharine, Lent / Great Lent, Martin Luther King Jr, Ovid, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, World Hearing Day
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Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent and/or the 19-Day Fast, on World Hearing Day and throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!

“Let us be practical and ask the question. How do we love our enemies?

First, we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. It is impossible even to begin the act of loving one’s enemies without the prior acceptance of the necessity, over and over again, of forgiving those who inflict evil and injury upon us. It is also necessary to realize that the forgiving act must always be initiated by the person who has been wronged, the victim of some great hurt, the recipient of some tortuous injustice, the absorber of some terrible act of oppression. The wrongdoer may request forgiveness. He may come to himself, and, like the prodigal son, move up some dusty road, his heart palpitating with the desire for forgiveness. But only the injured neighbor, the loving father back home, can really pour out the warm waters of forgiveness.”

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christmas 1957)

“Again we hear people saying, ‘I will forgive you but I won’t have anything to do with you.’ There again, one hasn’t forgiven if he will not have anything to do with the person or the group that he is supposedly forgiving because forgiveness means reconciliation. Forgiveness means the development of a new relationship. And I submit to you that the first way that one can go about loving his enemy neighbor is to develop the capacity to forgive.

The second thing is this. In order to love the enemy neighbor we must recognize that the negative deed of the enemy does not represent all that the individual is. His evil deed does not represent his whole being. If we look at ourselves hard enough, and if we look at all men hard enough, we see a strange dichotomy, a disturbing schizophrenia. We are divided against ourselves, split up so to speak. There is something within all of us which causes us to cry out with Ovid the Latin poet, ‘I see and approve the better things of life, but the evil things I do.’”^*

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon delivered at the Detroit Council of Churches’ Noon Lenten Services by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (circa March 7, 1961)

Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, March 3^rd) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03052022 Your I-ness”]

“Third we must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy but to win his friendship and understanding. At times we are able to humiliate our worst enemy. Inevitably, his weak moments come and we are able to thrust in his side the spear of defeat. But this we must not do. Every word and deed must contribute to an understanding with the enemy and release those vast reservoirs of goodwill which have been blocked by impenetrable walls of hate.

Let us move now from the practical how to the theoretical why: Why should we love our enemies? The first reason is fairly obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christmas 1957)

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

*NOTE: Footnote 7. Ovid Metamorphoses 7.20.

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Understanding [Your] Karma & Putting Cash in Your Karmic Bank Account (the “missing” Saturday post) January 13, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, Movies, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Super Heroes, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Anstalten Österåker, “Pam” Hendricks, Österåker Prison, Österåkersanstalten, Beverly Mahr, Carl Perkins, Dr. Reginald “Reggie” Ray, Ecclesiastes, Folsom State Prison, Glen Sherley, Gordon Jenkins, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, kamma, Karma, Karma Yoga, kriya, kriyā, kriyā yoga, Little Brother Montgomery, Martin Luther King Jr, Merle Haggard, prison, Reginald Rey, saṃskāra, San Quentin State Prison, Sir Isaac Newton, Soledad State Prison, Swami Jnaneshvara, Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati, The Tennessee Three (music), The Tennessee Two (music), vāsanā, Yoga Sutra 2.1, Yoga Sutra 2.12
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May you breathe deeply, with the awareness that you have what you need to be stable, steady, comfortable, at ease… and maybe even joyful.

This “missing” post for Saturday, January 13^th. Some explanations (related to definitions) have previously been posted. You can request an audio recording of a related practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“To Westerners, the doctrine of karma can be somewhat off-putting, seeming to be a mechanical law that exacts full payment from us for our moral infractions. Yet Buddhism actually takes the opposite view. Only when we see fully the ramifications of karma [can] we understand who we are and why we are here, connect with the warmth and blessing of the world, and experience genuine compassion for other people. Beyond this, to understand that there is no ‘I’-but only the operation of impersonal karmic forces-is to attain the freedom of complete liberation.”

— quoted from the Lion’s Roar article “Understanding Karma” by Reginald Rey

How an inhale leads to an exhale and an exhale leads to an inhale;
How moving with the breath allows us to notice how one pose leads to another;
How what we do in one part of our body affects another part of the body (and vice versa). For example, notice how stability in the lower body allows you to extend your upper body and how extending your upper body allows you to stretch out the lower body.

If you’ve practice with me a bit, you have probably heard the aforementioned example a lot. (And, hopefully, you’ve tested it out for yourself.) You have probably also heard me state, “What happens in the body, happens in the mind; what happens in the mind, happens in the body; and both affect the breath… So we harness the power of the breath to affect the body and the mind.” At various points throughout the year, I reference saṃskāra (“mental impressions”) and vāsanā (“dwelling places” of our habits) and encourage people to notice that what happened to our hearts (and ourselves) in the past informed this present moment and what happens in this present moment — i.e., what we do in this present moment — informs our future moments. All of this applies to our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.

“Buddhism highlights two types of karma. The first is the karma of result. This addresses the age-old question of why our life is this way and not some other; it shows us that every aspect of our lives is the result of actions we have performed in the past. This includes our body and its physical condition, our parentage and other elements of our history, current friends and relatives, our overall life situation, our general state of mind, and even the thoughts we think and the emotions we feel.”

“The second type is the karma of cause. This addresses the question of how or even whether we influence the future. It says that every action we perform in the present is going to produce results of some kind further down the road. Our minds and the actions that proceed from them are that powerful.”

— quoted from the Lion’s Roar article “Understanding Karma” by Reginald Rey

Dr. Reginald “Reggie” Ray is the co-founder and Spiritual Director of the Dharma Ocean Foundation and University Professor (retired) at Naropa University. While he described karma (or kamma, in Pali) as having two different definitions in Buddhism — and while many Western practitioners of Yoga may be most familiar with some idea of “karma” — sacred texts about the Yoga Philosophy use two different words for the two different types of action/work. Karma is the effect or consequence, while kriyā is the cause. Kriyā is an ongoing process and also the steps within the process; it is active. You could also think of karma as fate and kriyā as destiny; where the former is unchangeable and the latter as the journey to your destination.

Some traditions take the latter concept a step further and specifically use kriyā in relation to internal action or work and speak of karma when referring to external work. In some ways, this dovetails with Yoga Sūtra 2.1, which defines kriyā yoga (“union in action”) as a combination of the final three niyamas (internal “observations”): discipline/austerity, self-study, and trustful surrender to a higher power (other than one’s self). In this context, kriyā yoga is a purification ritual and, as I mention throughout the year, there are several religious and philosophical observations that would fit within this rubric (including Lent, Yom Kippur and Passover, the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, and the holy month of Ramaḍān).

Additionally, in the Kundalini Yoga tradition, “kriyā” is the term applied to sequences with specific energetic intentions.

“Although both kriya and karma can be translated as ‘action,’ there is a vast difference between them. Both are derived from the verb root kri…, which means ‘to do.’ Kriya refers to an action in process as well as to the dynamic force propelling the action. Karma refers to completed action. Unless a fresh wave of action is exerted on karma, it remains unchanged. Karma is an unchanging field of completed action waiting to be harvested by the performer of the action, while kriya is ever-moving, ever-changing energy. Kriya yoga is yoga in action, not yoga of action, and should not be confused with karma yoga.”

“The literal meaning kriya is ‘verb.’ Every verb is representative of a distinct process or function and no process of function reaches fruition without a doer.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

After the Saturday practice, someone asked me if “karma” is going to be our philosophical focus for 2024. At first, I was going to answer no. Then I thought, not exactly. Yet, when I really sit with the question, the actual answer is, sort of and partially. This year, during the Saturday practices, we are going to focus on how our past moments lead us to these present moments (karma) and how the things we do in this present moment can lead to certain future moments (kriyā) — and we’re going to use the chakra system as a paradigm for understanding where we are, how we got here, and where we’re going (or, all the places we could go).

Just to clarify, this practice is a moving meditation with some self-study, contemplation, and reflection. While I am not going to put a lot of focus on the concept of past lives and reincarnation — although those ideas do make up part of the foundation of karma/kamma in the Buddhist and Yoga philosophies — there will be times when we reflect on generational trauma — and, of course, there will be stories… and music.

“[Verse 1]
I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when
I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on
But that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

We could just listen (or listen and move) to the music. But, let’s put a little “cash” in our karmic bank account and look at how the performances, as well as much of the music — not to mention the stories behind the music and how the concerts came about — are great illustrations of cause-and-effect and of karma and kriyā.

“[Verse 2]
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

While serving in the United States Air Force in Germany (~ 1951/1952), Johnny Cash saw the film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (released in U. S. May 18, 1951) and he was inspired to write a song. Keep in mind that, even though he had more than his fair share of troubles and spent some time in county (or city) jail, he never served time as a prisoner. (Unlike Merle Haggard, who would be incarcerated and in the audience during at least one prison concert.) Mr. Cash did, however, have an imagination. So, as he sat not far from Landsberg Prison (in Bavaria), inspired by the film about Folsom and the instrumental song “Crescent City Blues” by Little Brother Montgomery (1930) as well as the lyrics by Gordon Jenkins (released by Beverly Mahr in 1953), he thought about the worst thing someone could do to wind up in prison. Keep in mind that his “worst thing” was based on his previous experiences.

Then he wrote a song that (he said) he never expected to get as big as it got: “Folsom Prison Blues.” Johnny Cash went on to write songs about prison life, in general, and about San Quentin (1969) — the latter of which he also sang as “Österåker.” In between cobbling together one of his most famous hits and some of those other prison songs, Mr. Cash decided he wanted to go to prison… not to serve time, but to serve the inmates. By playing a series of concerts, he and the other musicians were giving back, doing a little karma yoga.

The songs they sang simultaneously lifted the spirits of the inmates and spoke to/of the experiences of the inmates. In some cases, the songs, the concerts, and the live albums changed the way people perceived Johnny Cash and the inmates. They also changed the way some of the inmates saw themselves. For instance, during the first July 13^th concert, the inmates at Folsom barely reacted to the music, because history had taught them that making too much noise would result in a loss of privileges. But, the musicians and their producers needed/wanted the crowd reactions for the live albums. So, perceptions and expectations changed. Consider how you would feel if you spent your days (and nights) suppressing your natural reactions because you feared punishment. Consider how you feel knowing the cheers, laughs, and applause on the live recording were re-mixed after the concerts.

The life of Glen Sherley is another example of the effect of the concerts. It is also an example of how past actions inform present actions and influence future actions. Mr. Sherley was an inmate at Folsom, who had written a song. Someone played Johnny Cash a tape of the song, thinking the morale of the inmates might be boosted if the “Man in Black” referenced the song and the songwriter. Johnny Cash and the other musicians took the idea a step further: they learned and sang the song. Glen Sherley had no idea the popular musicians were going to sing his song. Neither could he know how much his life was going to change because of that simple act; but, change it did. Even while still in prison, Glen Sherley became a popular songwriter who eventually released his own album and (for a brief period) performed under the House of Cash label.

However, despite being given a “second act” and a different way of life, Glen Sherley couldn’t handle it. He had a long history of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and other illegal tendencies. Johnny Cash dismissed him from the House of Cash out of an abundance of caution (because people feared he would follow through on some of his threats) and, in 1978, within 7 years of his release from Folsom, those fears came to fruition when Glen Sherley shot a man while he (Mr. Sherley) was high. A couple of days later, after telling his daughter couldn’t go back to jail, the fledging musician died from a suicide. He was 42 years old.

“… Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

… I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime
But is there because he’s a victim of the times”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

As they do with Martin Luther King, Jr (especially this weekend), people often quote and/or coopt Johnny Cash’s legacy. Throughout his life, he told people not to put words in his mouth — a message his children continue spreading to this day — and to, instead, pay attention to what he said and what he did. If we do that, if we really listen to what he said and what he did, we find that Johnny Cash advocated for the poor and the disenfranchised. He wrote protest songs about people in prison and how they were treated (before and after they were released); the Vietnam War (and war in general); and the oppression of Native Americans. Then he backed those lyrics up with action/deeds.

His kriyā, because the music is still alive and still actively acting on the world.

“Each week we lose a hundred fine young men

… And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin’ that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Believin’ that we all were on their side

… Well, there’s things that never will be right, I know
And things need changin’ everywhere you go
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You’ll never see me wear a suit of white

… Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything’s okay
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
’Til things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

Given all of the above, take a moment to consider your first lesson in “karma.”

Was it called that or was “cause-and-effect” first taught to you with a different way with different words (and in a different language)? Maybe it was taught to you in the scientific way. Remember this is just a different spin on the laws of nature and Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. According to Yoga Sūtra 2.12: kleśamūlah karmāśayo dŗşţādŗşţjanmavedanīyah / “The reservoir of our actions is rooted in affliction/pain that is experienced in seen and unseen lives.” So, take a moment to consider that how you view all of this is based on your previous experiences and lessons (about the subject at hand and, also, about the historical and cultural context of these concepts). Now, take a moment to consider how you use this information (about yourself) when you are really grounded in it. Meaning:

What do you believe (or not believe)?
How much of what you believe (or don’t believe) is based on lessons you were taught (or not taught) and how much is based on what you’ve experienced/learned in the meanwhile?
How do your thoughts, words, and deeds reflect your beliefs?

Just like I wonder about his thoughts on current events, I wonder about Johnny Cash’s first lesson in karma. He is often quoted as saying, “ … I’m the biggest sinner of them all…” and, in the very next breath, talking about his faith in Jesus. So it is possible that his first lesson in “karma” was similar to mine, someone quoting or paraphrasing “the Teacher” (King Solomon) in Ecclesiastes 11. Even though he may not have called it karma yoga, Johnny Cash spent a lot of time doing things that came back to him.

What are you doing and how is coming back to you?

“Cast your bread upon the water and it shall return to you.”

— My great-grandmother Pam, quoting Ecclesiastes 11:1

“The law of Karma is a universal process, whereby causes lead to effects. This is something that all of us are already familiar with, whether or not we use the word Karma to describe it. Newton’s third law of motion, that every action leads to a reaction, is an application of the law of Karma.”

— Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

Saturday playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“01132021 Karma Cash I”]

Looking for more? You can scroll through all my posts tagged with karma or check out one of the posts highlighted below:

We Begin With a Curious Teacher, or 2 (the “missing” Saturday post) September 16, 2023

The Last Appointment (a “long lost” Saturday post) June 5, 2023

Leadership & Kriya Yoga (the “missing” Monday post) February 21, 2023

Effort and Effect (a “missing” post from a week ago) February 28, 2022

When You Need A Good Hard Rain (the “missing” Sunday post) February 7, 2022

It’s Bach’s Day Too! March 21, 2020

### GIVE ###

Next Generation Dreaming & FTWMI: Still Dreaming the Heart’s Wildest Dream (the “missing” Monday post) August 28, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Maya Angelou, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Poetry, Suffering, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Brandan Odums, Caroline Myss, Clarence B. Jones, Darius Simpson, Emily Dickinson, Emmett Till, Mahalia Jackson, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Martin Luther King Jr, Maya Angelou, Robert Pirsig, samskāras, Second Battle of Bull Run, Second Battle of Manassas, Strom Thurmond, vasanas, Yoga Sutra 1.10, Yoga Sutra 1.38, Yolanda Renee King
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Stay safe. Breathe. Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

This is a “missing” post for Monday, August 28^th. It includes some new and some previously posted material. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“We all were sea-swallowed, though some cast again,

And by that destiny to perform an act

Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come

In yours and my discharge.”

— Antonio, Prospero’s brother, the usurping Duke of Milan, in Act I, Scene i of The Tempest by William Shakespeare

In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare offered what can be considered a very succinct explanation of karma (act, word, and deed – as well as the result or effect of effort): “what’s past is prologue….” As much as I love the quote, I hardly every use it, because Antonio (the brother of the Duke) and Sebastian (the brother of the King) are discussing murder – and I don’t want people to get it twisted. I’m not ever about justifying murder or violence. Today’s practice, however, does reference murder, violence, and war – as well as the ignorance, hate, discrimination, and inequity that has (historically) led to murder, violence, and war.

Sometimes, when I reference things in history (and how they parallel current events), I seem to be proving Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s point – “[that] what experience and history teach is this, — that peoples and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.” Note that he references “peoples,” i.e., nations (and specifically mentions rulers and statesmen), which gives me a little hope in each of us individually. Perhaps, with a little svādhyāya (“self-study”), we can individually learn (collectively) and then come together in a way that proves Hegel wrong.

The problem with my theory is that not everyone is interested in svādhyāya – let alone in exploring history according to the rubric Hegel outlined in The Lectures on the Philosophy of History. Additionally, not everyone learns those various ways to discuss history. This is turning into a particular challenge in the United States, where some U. S. history is not taught. There may come a time when almost no one in the U. S. knows about some of the things that happened today, throughout U. S. history. But, today, despite the way history is taught in certain parts of the United States – and despite the way people are trying to change the way history is taught – most adults will have some passing knowledge of the events that I reference during the August 28^th practice. Most people, however, will be most familiar with one particular event. Or, to be more accurate, people remember one part (of one part) of one event: Martin Luther King Jr.’s words about a dream.

In many ways, that dream, that speech, and that march 60 years ago today is both past and prologue. As Dr. King’s only grandchild pointed out this weekend, that dream, that speech, and the reason people were marching 60 years ago today are as much a part of our present as they are a part of our past.

“‘If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say I’m sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realizing your dream,’ [15-year old Yolanda Renee King] said. ‘Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools and our shopping centers.’”

— quoted from the August 26, 2023, Associated Press article “Thousands converge on National Mall to mark the March on Washington’s 60th anniversary” by Aaron Morrison and Ayanna Alexander

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2022. I have added an extra quote and a (tiny) bit of extra philosophy.

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.”

– quoted from the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

Take a moment to consider how you deal with difference, imbalance, and/or injustice. You can consider it from your perspective as an individual and/or as part of a collective, a community… a republic. Either way you look at it, consider that your unique perspective – based on your past experiences – determines what you believe is a reasonable and rational way to deal with differences, imbalance, and/or injustice. Just to be clear: “past experiences” include everything you have felt, thought, said, done, and experienced around you. Past experiences make up your “mental impressions” (samskaras) – which, over time, can become vasanas, the “dwelling places” of our habits.

I was thinking about vasanas the other day when I heard Caroline Myss use the idea of living in a high rise as a metaphor for how we live in the world. The point she was making is that, if we live in the penthouse, we have a different understanding of the world and our circumstances than if we live on the first floor (or in the basement). Additionally, she talked about people not really caring about the problems people were having on other floors and she talked about perspective as it relates to the view outside, the vista. All of this made me think about how our perspectives determine how we resolve conflict.

Consider, if you will, that we “might be” in the habit of dealing with difference, imbalance, and/or injustice in ways that are not alleviating our suffering. I put “might be” in quotes, but let’s be real; if we look at some of the events that happened today in U. S. history (from 1862 to 1963 and beyond), we find a lot of suffering. Like a lot, a lot, of suffering. But, there’s not a whole lot of alleviation. We do, however, find dreams, hopes, promises, and possibilities.

As many of y’all know, I’m a big fan of “dwell[ing] in Possibility.” I sometimes wonder, however, at what point that idea becomes counterproductive. At what point do we have to pack up our baggage and move from unlimited possibilities to unlimited probability? At what point do we realize that moving means getting rid of some old, outdated stuff that no longer serves us?

At what point do we recognize that the problems in the basement (and on the first floor) contribute to the problems in the penthouse – and vice versa? And, at what point do we recognize that we are all in the same dwelling place?

Better yet, at what point do follow the Patanjali’s advice and steady the mind by “resting on the wisdom arising from dreams and sleep” (YS 1.38)? At what point do we recognize that it’s time to move from dreams to reality?

“[We are our] ancestors’ wildest dreams!”

– variations attributed to Brandan Odums, Darius Simpson, and others

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

The playlist previous years is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08282021 The Heart’s Wildest Dream”]

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends – ”

“Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream.”

[Clarence B. Jones to the person beside him: “These people out there, they don’t know it, but they’re about ready to go to church.”]

“So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

– words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahalia Jackson, and Clarence B. Jones on Wednesday, August 28, 1963

“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”

– quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig

### To Have Wild Dreams, We Have to Live Wild Dreams ###

The Authority to Do & Say What Needs Doing & Saying (the “missing” Monday post) April 3, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: #SeeSayDay, 9/11, Department of Homeland Security, Dr. Daryl Koehn, Gospel According to Matthew, Great Lent, Jack Hawley, Lent / Great Lent, Martin Luther King Jr, MLK, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Prince, Seane Corn, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, Washington Irving, Yoga Sutra 1.17
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Blessings to anyone observing Holy Monday / Passion Monday or Great Lent! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān. Many blessings to all during this “Season for Non-violence” and all other seasons!

This “missing” post for Monday, April 4^th. You can request an audio recording of this practice (or a date-related practice) via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice. Donations are tax deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“If You See Something, Say Something^®”

– the original New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority slogan to promote public safety

The message is everywhere (at least in the United States). It’s on billboards and posters, commercials and print ads, public service announcements and t-shirts. In fact, the message is so ubiquitous, it feels like it’s been around forever. And maybe, on some level it has. However, the slogan was actually a campaign that was trademarked and implemented by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY MTA) after the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001. Nine years after the attack (in July of 2010), the NY MTA granted the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) permission to use slogan as part of a national anti-terrorism campaign. That campaign created partnerships with state and local governments, federal agencies, major sports leagues, transit stations, entertainment venues, private businesses, places of worship, nonprofits, schools, and many other types of organizations – which is why the message is, quite literally, everywhere.

There’s even a National “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day (September 25), also known as #SeeSayDay, which serves the same two-fold purpose as the overall campaign:

To remind everyone to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, that might be related to terrorism
To empower people to report suspicious activity to the proper authorities

Part of that first part requires people to be able to recognize suspicious activity (that might be related to terrorism) and, also, to recognize that we all play a part in public safety. The second part gives people the authority to act. All in all, it is a great campaign. Of course, some interesting things have happened since 2001, with regard DHS’s national campaign. First, the definition of “suspicious activity” has expanded to include anything that might be criminal and/or that makes someone uncomfortable. Second, some people feel more empowered than others. Then there’s a third outcome, predicated by the other two. One might even call it an “unintended consequence.”

Sometimes the people who feel most empowered to report “suspicious activity” are uncomfortable with innocuous activities – which can create (and has created) situations where actually suspicious activity is not reported. It’s a double-edged sword that, in some ways, presents every individual with a moral (and practical) conundrum:

How do we fulfill our purpose (according to the “law”) and by whose authority can we exert our judgment/opinion about someone else’s behavior?

The following is an abridged (and slightly revised/expanded) version of this 2019 Kiss My Asana Offering, which included a featured pose.

“One’s personal duty in life (one’s sva-dharma) should be viewed as one’s highest responsibility to his or her highest Self, the Atma. This ultrahigh level of duty carries with it the requirement that one never does anything that is contrary to this True Self Within. And even if you consider your sva-dharma more narrowly from the standpoint of being true to your profession, you should not hesitate to fight. For a warrior, war against evil, greed, cruelty, hate, and jealousy is the highest duty.”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.31) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Sacred texts from a variety of different cultures, tell us that everyone has a purpose. However, even if you don’t believe the old adage, science has shown that people who live a purpose driven life have better physical and mental health and stronger resilience than their peers. It’s a bit of a cycle: we need our mind-body-spirit to fulfill a purpose and fulfilling the purpose strengthens our mind-body-spirit so that we are better equipped to fulfill the purpose.

Sometimes, however, we do things – or don’t do things – that sap our energy and drag us down. If our mind-bodies are temples, then the things that sap our energy are like thieves in the temple. Thieves can be eating the wrong foods; drinking too much of the wrong beverages and/or not drinking enough water; not resting; not exercising; partaking in illicit drugs; not managing stress; and/or being surrounded by negative opinions. Doesn’t matter what they are though, because at some point we have to throw the thieves out of the temple in order to restore the temple to its original purpose.

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,” (Matthew 21:12 KJV)

“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:13 KJV)

– The Gospel According to Matthew

Passion Monday, or Holy Monday, is associated with the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. According to the New Testament Gospels, Jesus is very clear about his purpose as he enters the last week of his life. He understands that there will be suffering (hence, the passion), trials, tribulation, and betrayal, and joy. He knows he will be tested and tempted (yet another passion/suffering). It is unclear if he knows how quickly the suffering will begin, but suffice it to say, it is immediate.

When he returns to Jerusalem for Passover, Jesus finds that the Temple of Jerusalem had been turned into a defacto market place. All four (4) canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state that Jesus runs the livestock and the merchants out, and overturns the tables of the money changers and the dove sellers. He then begins to heal the sick and to teach, thus restoring the temple to its original purpose. Children praise him and this, along with everything else, riles up the establishment.

In three (3) of the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) several groups of the establishment question Jesus’ authority and his views on taxes. First he is asked, “By what authority are you doing these things?” To which, Jesus asks his own question regarding the authority of the then wildly popular John the Baptist:

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:24 KJV)

“The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?” (Matthew 21:25 KJV)

“And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:26 KJV)

Later, in another attempt to trap Jesus, the elders ask him if the Jewish people should pay taxes to the Roman Empire. He asks them to show him a coin suitable for payment and, when they present a coin with a Roman face on the front – specifically, Caesar’s face – Jesus says, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)

“But if you do not fight this battle of good over evil, you will fail in both your worldly duty and in your duty to your very Self. You will violate your sva-dharma. Not doing the right thing when it is required is worse than doing the wrong thing.”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.33) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Just like Jesus in the New Testament, we can all find ourselves in situations where we feel the responsibility to speak up and do the right thing. We may even find that someone questions our authority to do what we feel must be done. In fact, we may be the one questioning whether we have the authority (or the correct information) to do something. And that last part is crucial; because – as we must remember – part of the DHS campaign was about awareness.

Just like Patanjali, Western Science, delineates a conscious, unconscious, and subconscious part of the mind. In the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali also described four levels of conscious-awareness: gross, subtle, bliss, and I-ness. (YS 1.17) Those first two levels (gross and subtle) must be engaged in order for us to fulfill our purpose. If they are not engaged, then we are like a zombie, sleep-walking through life.

“The great error in Rip’s composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor.”

– quoted from “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving

Passion Week, or Holy Week, is associated with a moveable feast and, therefore, falls at different times on the Gregorian calendar. This year, Passion Monday (in the Western Christian and Roman Catholic traditions) coincides with the anniversary of the birth of Washington Irving (born April 3, 1783), whose “Rip Van Winkle” can be connected to ancient Greek philosophy and to a story about ancient Christians that appears in the Qur’an.

Just like each person has a purpose in life (and with regard to public safety), each part of the mind-body plays a part in our ability to fulfill our purpose. Just like things we consume – food, drink, media, experiences – can be the thieves that prevent us from doing our duty, so too can an injury… or, something as simple as one part of our body “falling asleep.”

Technically (medically) speaking, a body part falling asleep is “transient (temporary) paresthesia,” which occurs when pressure on the nerves and/or reduced blood flow causes a disconnect between the brain and the affected body part. In addition to the affected body part not working properly until it “wakes up,” a person may stop all other conscious activity in order to resolve the issue with the one part that is in pain. To add insult to injury, it’s not only painful when part of the body falls asleep, it’s also painful to “wake” it up. But, we must, if we are to (safely) function as a (united) whole.

“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”

– quoted from a sermon (or speech at the pulpit) given on March 8, 1965, by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Click here for the 2020 Passion Monday blog post (which focuses on one way the mind-body eliminates the thieves.

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

When I do use a playlist for this “detox flow,” this makes the cut.

### “Love come quick / Love come in a hurry” ~ Prince ###

The Fire We Desire & The Fire(s) We Need (a Tuesday post & a special Black History note) February 14, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Science, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yin Yoga, Yoga.
Tags: A. S. Klein, Anna Murray Douglass, Ayurveda, Black History Month, CBS Sunday Morning, David Hogg, Declaration of Sentiments, Frederick Douglass, Geoffrey Chaucer, George L. Ruffin, Helen Piitts Douglass, Jamie Woon, kabbalah, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, Martin Luther King Jr, Oscar Wilde, Parkland, Peter Cook, Rita Braver, Robert Pirsig, Saint Valentine, Seneca Falls Convention, shabda, siddhis, Underground Railroad, Webster's 1828, William Goldman
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Peace and ease to all during this “Season of Non-violence” and all other seasons!

This is the post for Tuesday, February 14^th and (technically) the 14^th special Black History note. Today’s word is gratitude and I am grateful for you. Some parts of the following were originally posted in 2021 and 2022. Some context, class details, and links have been added or updated. My apologies for not posting before the Noon class.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

“And, [L]ove – True [L]ove – will follow you forever.”

– “The Impressive Clergyman” (Peter Cook) in the movie The Princess Bride by William Goldman

No one can be surprised that “words” are one of my favorite supernormal powers. In fact, śabda (or shabda), ranks as one of my top six siddhis or “powers.” Yet, there’s also no denying that words are not only one of our super powers, they are also a form of kryptonite – especially when we’re dealing with English. The English language seems to have as many rules as exceptions and as many homonyms that are homographs as homophones. And if the homonyms that sound the same but have different meanings and/or spellings (homophones) and the homonyms that are spelled the same but have different meanings and/or pronunciation (homographs) aren’t confusing enough, there are words that just have different meanings to different people – or different meanings based on the context. The word “love” is a prime example of a word that can mean different things to different people and at different times.

If you mention love on February 14^th, a lot of people in the West will automatically think of “romantic love” – which is kind of ironic since Valentine’s Day started as a Catholic saint’s feast day and that saint may or may not have had anything to do with romantic love. Neither does romantic love have anything to do with the fact that the African American abolitionist, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass celebrated his birthday on this date is – although, his reasons for doing so are, loosely, connected to it being Saint Valentine’s Day.

“The Greek language comes out with another word for love. It is the word agape, and agape is more than eros. Agape is more than philia. Agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love; it’s what theologians would call the love of God working in the lives of men. And when you rise to love on this level, you begin to love men, not because they are likeable, but because God loves them. You look at every man, and you love him because you know God loves him. And he might be the worst person you’ve ever seen.”

– quoted from “Loving Your Enemies” sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (11/17/1957)

In the song “Gravity,” Jamie Woon sings of loving “a girl who loves synchronicity” and who “confided that love, it is an energy.” We humans (in general) have a tendency to block and/or limit that energy instead of “passing it on,” as the girl in the song does. And, we often use words to limit that energy. Some languages have different words for different kinds of love. Ancient Greek, for example, has érōs for sensual or passionate “love” or “desire;” storgḗ instinctual “love,” “affection,” or familial love (which can also extend to friends and pets); philía, which can be translated as “friendship” or brotherly love and was considered by some to be the “highest form of love;” and agápē, which is also described as unconditional love and “the highest form of love.”

Early Christians co-opted the Greek agápē and added to it their own understanding of the Hebrew chesed, which is sometimes translated into modern English as loving-kindness and stems from the root word (chasad) meaning “eager and ardent desire;” and includes a sense of “zeal” (especially as related to God). However, even in the Hebrew Bible (and the Christian Old Testament), chesed has been translated (in different places) as “mercy,” “kindness,” “lovingkindness,” “goodness,” “kindly” “merciful,” “favour,” “good,” “goodliness,” “pity,” and even “steadfast love.” There’s also a couple of places where it is used with a negative connotation. Judaism (and, particularly Jewish mysticism) also have words like devekut (which might be described as an emotional state and/or an action that cultivates a state related to “cleaving” or clinging to the Divine). Additionally, there is an understanding of a fear/awe of God (that also migrated into Christianity).

In English, we have a tendency to just use the same word for multiple things. Sometimes we add qualifiers like “brotherly” or “romantic;” but, sometimes we just use “love” – which, again, comes with different meanings and associations. During a Monday night in 2022, when I asked people for a word or phrase that they associate with love, I got some really phenomenal answers: acceptance and compassion, bravery (specifically as it relates to social change), trust, all the people that [one] cares about, and giving. To this list, I added earnest.

The “Valentine’s Day” portion of the following is partially excerpted from a 2021 post about “Being Red,” which includes a story about red and the Lunar New Year, as well as how this all ties into the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the upcoming Lenten observations.

“EARNEST, adjective

Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain; having a longing desire; warmly engaged or incited.

They are never more earnest to disturb us, than when they see us most earnest in this duty.

Ardent; warm; eager; zealous; animated; importunate; as earnest in love; earnest in prayer.
Intent; fixed.

On that prospect strange

Their earnest eyes were fixed.

Serious; important; that is, really intent or engaged; whence the phrase, in earnest To be in earnest is to be really urging or stretching towards an object; intent on a pursuit. Hence, from fixed attention, comes the sense of seriousness in the pursuit, as opposed to trifling or jest. Are you in earnest or in jest?”

– quoted from Webster’s Dictionary 1828: American Dictionary of the English Language

Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People premiered on February 14, 1895, at the Saint James Theatre in London. It is a love story (or love stories) of sorts, but it is also a comedy of errors and a social satire full of love, love triangles, double entendres, double lives, mistaken identities, the dichotomy of public versus private life in Victorian society, and so many trivialities that one can hardly be blamed for questioning that about which one should be serious… or earnest. Like his other plays, Earnest was well received and marked a professional high point in Wilde’s life. However, it also marked a personal low point: Wilde’s trial, conviction, and imprisonment for homosexuality – which was illegal in Victorian England. Earnest would be the last play written by Oscar Wilde and, some would argue, his most popular.

While English speakers around the world might not come up with the same definition of “earnest” that was known in Victorian England, I would expect there would be some consensus around it meaning “serious” and “true.” On the flip side, the color red means something different to everyone. Webster’s 1828 dictionary clearly defines it as “a simple or primary color, but of several different shades or hues, as scarlet, crimson, vermilion, orange red etc.” – but even that doesn’t begin to address the fact that, on any given Sunday, the color signifies different things to different people all over the world. I say, “on any given Sunday,” but just consider Sunday the 14^thin 2021 [see link above], when red was associated with Valentine’s Day, The Lunar New Year celebrations (in some countries), and even the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Many people associate Valentine’s Day with red hearts, cards, chocolates, flowers, romantic dates, and romantic love – a very commercial endeavor – but it didn’t start out that way. The day actually started as (and to some still is) the Feast Day of Saint Valentine, according to the Western Christian tradition. There are actually two Christian martyrs remembered as Saint Valentine, but the most well-known is the 3^rd-century Roman saint (who is honored on July 6^th and 30^th in the Eastern Christian tradition). According to the legends, Valentine was imprisoned for practicing Christianity during a time when Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire. Before and during his incarceration, Saint Valentine had several conversations with the Roman Emperor Claudius II. Throughout these discussions, the emperor tried to convert the priest to the Roman pagan religion (ostensibly to save the priest’s life) and the priest tried to convert the emperor to Catholicism (theoretically to save the emperor’s soul, and the souls of all that followed him and his decrees).

Around this same time, Valentine had multiple interactions and conversations with the daughter of his jailer. Julia, the daughter, was blind and one of the last acts Valentine reportedly committed (before he was executed) was to heal Julia’s sight. After he was martyred (around 269 A. D.), Julia and her household converted to Catholicism in honor of Valentine. His feast day was established in 496 A.D.; however, around the 18^th century, many additional details of the story started cropping up. One such detail was that Valentine married Christian soldiers who had been forbidden to marry (possibly because it would divide their focus and loyalty). Another detail was that he left Julia a letter and signed it “Your Valentine.”

“For this was on Seynt Velentynes day,

Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make,”

“For this was on Saint Valentine’s day,

When every fowl comes there his mate to take,”

– quoted from the poem “The Parliament of Fowls” by Geoffrey Chaucer, translation by A. S. Klein

As to why red became associated with Valentine’s Day, there are lots of theories and they all come back to those embellishments which focused on Saint Valentine as the patron saint of lovers. Some of those embellishments are attributed to Geoffrey Chaucer’s works about love – and love was associated with the heart, which people associated with red. Additionally, a red stain is traditionally viewed in the Western world as the sign that a woman came to her marital bed as a virgin – a view that is not scientifically factual. Still, the idea persists and there’s some very suggestive, subliminal messaging going on there.

But, let’s go back to the idea of the heart being red. Yoga and Ayurveda, as they come to us from India, use green to symbolize the heart chakra (i.e., the energetic or spiritual heart), but of course, these systems also recognize that the physical heart is red when exposed to the air – or it’s being depicted by an artist, which is why the Sacred Heart of Jesus is depicted as red.

Speaking of the energetic or spiritual heart: Swami Rama of the Himalayan tradition taught that we all have three hearts: a physical heart, which for most of us is on the left; an emotional heart, which for most of us is on the left; and that energetic or spiritual heart of the middle. That “heart center” includes the arms (also fingers and hands) and connects the hearts within us and also connects our hearts with all the hearts around us. Chinese Medicine and their sister sciences of movement, including Yin Yoga, also map the vital energy of the heart through the arms.

Going back to Jewish mysticism: In the Kabbalah, the sefira (or Divine “attribute”) of chesed is related to the right arm. It is balanced by gevurah (“strength”), which is the left arm, and tiferet (“balance”), which is the upper torso and includes the physical heart. These energetic paradigms really reinforce Robert Pirsig’s statement that “The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”

“Indeed, some have called me a traitor…. Two things are necessary to make a traitor. One is he shall have a country. [Laughter and applause] I believe if I had a country, I should be a patriot. I think I have all the feelings necessary — all the moral material, to say nothing about the intellectual. But when I remember that the blood of four sisters and one brother, is making fat the soil of Maryland and Virginia,—when I remember that an aged grandmother who has reared twelve children for the Southern market, and these one after another as they arrived at the most interesting age, were torn from her bosom,—when I remember that when she became too much racked for toil, she was turned out by a professed Christian master to grope her way in the darkness of old age, literally to die with none to help her, and the institutions of this country sanctioning and sanctifying this crime, I have no words of eulogy, I have no patriotism.[…]

No, I make no pretension to patriotism. So long as my voice can be heard, on this or the other side of the Atlantic, I will hold up America to the lightening scorn of moral indignation. In doing this, I shall feel myself discharging the duty of a true patriot; for he is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins.”

– quoted from the 1847 speech “If I Had a Country, I Should Be a Patriot” by Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was born somewhere in Eastern Maryland in 1817 or 1818. If you’re wondering why I can name the exact time and place that Oscar Wilde’s play premiered a few years later (not to mention the exact time and place of that illustrious playwright’s birth), but cannot specify the time and place of one of the greatest speakers and writers of the 19th Century, it’s because Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. So, there is no heritage birth site you can visit (Covid not withstanding) in the way you can visit 21 Westland Row (the home of the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre in Dublin). You could visit Cedar Hill, the Washington, D. C. house that Mr. Douglass bought about forty years after he escaped from slavery. But, the historical marker related to his birth is at least four miles from where it is assumed he was born.

By all accounts, he was born on the Holme (or Holmes) Hill Farm and most likely in the cabin of his grandmother, Betsey Bailey – which is basically where he lived for the first part of his life. His mother, on the other hand, lived twelve miles away and died when he was about seven years old. Some of his vague memories, as he recounted in his third autobiography, included his mother calling him her “Little Valentine.” Ergo, he celebrated his birthday on February 14^th.

Most of what we know about the abolitionist, statesman, and activist, comes from his speeches and his writings, including three autobiographies: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave; My Bondage and My Freedom, and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. In some ways, each book is an expansion of the previous books, with the third being the most detailed about his escape and activism*. As he explained in his the final book, he left certain details and facts out of the first two books in order to protect himself, the people who helped him escape, and some of the people associated with him.

Since slavery was still active in the United States when his first book was published on May 1, 1845, Mr. Douglass also relocated to England and Ireland for two years in order to ensure he would not be recaptured. While he was in Europe, his supporters paid ($710.96) for his emancipation. That’s about $26,300.66, in today’s economy, that went to the person who had enslaved him.

“This is American slavery; no marriage—no education—the light of the gospel shut out from the dark mind of the bondman—and he forbidden by law to learn to read. If a mother shall teach her children to read, the law in Louisiana proclaims that she may be hanged by the neck. If the father attempt to give his son a knowledge of letters, he may be punished by the whip in one instance, and in another be killed, at the discretion of the court. Three millions of people shut out from the light of knowledge! It is easy for you to conceive the evil that must result from such a state of things.”

– quoted from “APPENDIX, CONTAINING EXTRACTS FROM SPEECHES, ETC – RECEPTION SPEECH AT FINSBURY CHAPEL, MOORFIELDS, ENGLAND, MAY 12, 1846.” in My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass

According to his first autobiography, the wife of his second owner, Mrs. Sophia Auld, started teaching a young Frederick Douglass the alphabet. When the lessons were discovered and forbidden, he overheard Mrs. Auld’s husband telling her that an educated slave would be unfit for slavery. This motivated Mr. Douglass to teach himself to read and write. The more he learned, the more he was motivated to be free. He was further motivated to escape when he fell in love with a free Black woman named Anna Murray, who was also a member of the Underground Railroad.

The success of his autobiographies changed the way some people – specifically, white abolitionists – viewed him and treated him. It expanded his audience and also uplifted his platform. While some pro-slavery advocates still saw him as a puppet and a parrot, abolitionists realized that he was actually an intellectual capable of giving very vivid (and compelling) first-hand accounts of the atrocities of slavery. Critics persisted in doubting him, but again and again, he dismantled their doubts and defamation. Furthermore, as he advocated for the civil rights of Africans in America, their descendants, and for all women, he lived a life that had been previously denied him.

“The marriage institution cannot exist among slaves, and one-sixth of the population of democratic America is denied its privileges by the law of the land. What is to be thought of a nation boasting of its liberty, boasting of its humanity, boasting of its christianity, boasting of its love of justice and purity, and yet having within its own borders three millions of persons denied by law the right of marriage?—what must be the condition of that people? I need not lift up the veil by giving you any experience of my own. Every one that can put two ideas together, must see the most fearful results from such a state of things as I have just mentioned.”

– quoted from “APPENDIX, CONTAINING EXTRACTS FROM SPEECHES, ETC – RECEPTION SPEECH AT FINSBURY CHAPEL, MOORFIELDS, ENGLAND, MAY 12, 1846.” in My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass and Anna Murray married on September 15, 1838 – just twelve days after his escape from slavery. For a while, they lived under an assumed surname. Frederick Douglass made a living as a public speaker, writer, and publisher. He traveled the world, served as a diplomat, and also served as an Army recruiter. Throughout his lifetime, he influenced people like Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison. He was the first African American to be nominated for vice president (in 1872); the first African American person to receive a vote for president during a a major parties roll call (in 1888); and, if we want to get technical, one of the first people to publicly protest Civil War era statues. (He specifically objected to the way former slaves were depicted.)

Frederick Douglass started the first abolitionist newspaper, The North Star, whose motto was “Right is of no Sex – Truth is of no Color – God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren.” He was also the only Black person to (officially) attend the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and the only Black signer of the Declaration of Sentiments.

“Believing that one of the best means of emancipating the slaves of the south is to improve and elevate the character of the free colored people of the north, I shall labor in the future, as I have labored in the past, to promote the moral, social, religious, and intellectual elevation of the free colored people; never forgetting my own humble origin, nor refusing, while Heaven lends me ability, to use my voice, my pen, or my vote, to advocate the great and primary work of the universal and unconditional emancipation of my entire race.”

– quoted from “CHAPTER XXV. VARIOUS INCIDENTS. NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE—UNEXPECTED OPPOSITION—THE OBJECTIONS TO IT—THEIR PLAUSIBILITY ADMITTED—MOTIVES FOR COMING TO ROCHESTER—DISCIPLE OF MR. GARRISON—CHANGE OF OPINION—CAUSES LEADING TO IT—THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CHANGE—PREJUDICE AGAINST COLOR—AMUSING CONDESCENSION—”JIM CROW CARS”—COLLISIONS WITH CONDUCTORS AND BRAKEMEN—TRAINS ORDERED NOT TO STOP AT LYNN—AMUSING DOMESTIC SCENE—SEPARATE TABLES FOR MASTER AND MAN—PREJUDICE UNNATURAL—ILLUSTRATIONS—THE AUTHOR IN HIGH COMPANY—ELEVATION OF THE FREE PEOPLE OF COLOR—PLEDGE FOR THE FUTURE.” of My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass and Anna Murray-Douglass had five children. Rosetta Douglass worked on her father’s newspapers and eventually became a teacher, an activist, and a founding member of the National Association for Colored Women. Lewis Henry Douglass worked as a typesetter at The North Star and The Douglass’ Weekly before serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Frederick Douglass Jr. was also an abolitionist and journalist and who, along with his father, recruited for the Union Army during the Civil War. (Lewis and the two Fredericks would also co-edit The New Era.) Charles Redmond Douglass, also a publisher, is remembered as the first African American to enlist in the Union Army in New York and was one of the first African Americans to serve as a clerk in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau). He also worked for the United States Treasury and served as a diplomat (as did his father). The fifth Douglass child, Annie, died as an adolescent.

Anna Murray-Douglass died in 1882 and, in 1884, Frederick Douglass married a white abolitionist and radical feminist who was two years his junior. Helen Pitts Douglass co-edited The Alpha and eventually worked as her husbands secretary. After her husband’s death in 1895, the second Mrs. Douglass purchased Cedar Hill from the Douglass children (because her husbands bequest to her was not upheld) and worked to establish the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association. After her death in 1903, the properties reduced mortgage was paid off by the National Association of Colored Women and is currently managed by the National Park Service.

“Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood, and stained with pollution, is wrong? No! I will not. I have better employment for my time and strength than such arguments would imply.

What, then, remains to be argued? Is it that slavery is not divine; that God did not establish it; that our doctors of divinity are mistaken? There is blasphemy in the thought. That which is inhuman, cannot be divine! Who can reason on such a proposition? They that can, may; I cannot. The time for such argument is passed.

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation’s ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.”

– quoted from the “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech by Frederick Douglass (July 5, 1852)

Please join me today (Tuesday, February 14^th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

NOTE: After the Noon practice, I remixed some of the before/after music after the Noon practice – which is slight different on each medium. The Spotify playlist includes Frederick Douglass’s entire “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech, recited by Ossie Davis. The YouTube playlist features a portion of the speech recited by direct descendants of Frederick Douglass.

Practice Notes: This practice is all about heart opening – however, it may not be in the way you expect. There is also some unexpected ways to engage the hips.

“But I should be false to the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence. From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom. This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise.”

– quoted from “CHAPTER V.” of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

*NOTE: The full title of the third autobiography of Frederick Douglass is Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself. His Early Life as a Slave, His Escape from Bondage, and His Complete History to the Present Time, Including His Connection with the Anti-slavery Movement; His Labors in Great Britain as Well as in His Own Country; His Experience in the Conduct of an Influential Newspaper; His Connection with the Underground Railroad; His Relations with John Brown and the Harper’s Ferry Raid; His Recruiting the 54th and 55th Mass. Colored Regiments; His Interviews with Presidents Lincoln and Johnson; His Appointment by Gen. Grant to Accompany the Santo Domingo Commission–
Also to a Seat in the Council of the District of Columbia; His Appointment as United States Marshal by President R. B. Hayes; Also His Appointment to Be Recorder of Deeds in Washington by President J. A. Garfield; with Many Other Interesting and Important Events of His Most Eventful Life; With an Introduction by Mr. George L. Ruffin, of Boston.

We keep saying “Never again,” but how earnest are we? (Warning: This video briefly contains disturbing images and sounds.)

### “I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital importance of being Earnest.” ~ OW ###

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A Joyful Practice

A Quick Note & Excerpts RE: King’s Secret to Dreaming / Changing / Living in 2025 January 15, 2025

— the beginning of my 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday class

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends – ”

“Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream.”

[Clarence B. Jones to the person beside him: “These people out there, they don’t know it, but they’re about ready to go to church.”]

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

— words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahalia Jackson, and Clarence B. Jones on Wednesday, August 28, 1963

### ###

Understanding [Your] Karma & Putting Cash in Your Karmic Bank Account (a revised post-practice Monday post) January 13, 2025

“‘Monks, I will teach you new & old kamma, the cessation of kamma, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of kamma. Listen and pay close attention. I will speak.

‘Now what, monks, is old kamma? The eye is to be seen as old kamma, fabricated & willed, capable of being felt. The ear… The nose… The tongue… The body… The intellect is to be seen as old kamma, fabricated & willed, capable of being felt. This is called old kamma.

‘And what is new kamma? Whatever kamma one does now with the body, with speech, or with the intellect: This is called new kamma.

‘And what is the cessation of kamma? Whoever touches the release that comes from the cessation of bodily kamma, verbal kamma, & mental kamma: This is called the cessation of kamma.’”

— quoted from “Kamma Sutta: Action” (SN 35.145), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

“The literal meaning kriya is ‘verb.’ Every verb is representative of a distinct process or function and no process of function reaches fruition without a doer.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

“[Verse 1] I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on But that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

“[Verse 2] When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

“Well, you wonder why I always dress in black Why you never see bright colors on my back And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime But is there because he’s a victim of the times”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

“Each week we lose a hundred fine young men

And I wear it for the thousands who have died Believin’ that the Lord was on their side I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died Believin’ that we all were on their side

… Well, there’s things that never will be right, I know And things need changin’ everywhere you go But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right You’ll never see me wear a suit of white

Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day And tell the world that everything’s okay But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back ’Til things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

“Cast your bread upon the water and it shall return to you.”

— My great-grandmother Pam, quoting Ecclesiastes 11:1

— Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

### GIVE ###

EXCERPT: “A Simple, Radical, ‘Bad to the Bone’ Man” January 11, 2025

“Our concern is not how to worship in the catacombs but how to remain human in the skyscrapers.”

— quoted from “Part V: The Meaning of this Hour – 40. Religion in Modern Society” in Between God and Man by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (b. 01/11/1907)

### FEET ###

A [Quick] Note & Excerpt About History and Dreams August 28, 2024

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT BELOW for the past prologue.

### Consider Your View ###

A Little Salt (the “missing” Tuesday post) March 12, 2024

“‘…the book I’ve been working on for about 10 years, and that I’m in the midst of trying to finish now, is about that; about how we can have a culture that cultivates the spirit of individual dissent.

Gandhi’s leadership of a march protesting about the salt tax imposed by India’s British colonial administrators is a vivid example of the kind of civic formation [Martha] Nussbaum is talking about. But she has homelier examples, too.”

— quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald article “Interview: Martha Nussbaum – As attitudes harden towards religion, the American philosopher turns her attention to the nurturing of faith, freedom and respect for difference.” by Ray Cassin (pub. September 1, 2012)

“Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life. It is the only condiment of the poor. Cattle cannot live without salt. Salt is a necessary article in many manufactures. it is also a rich manure.

There is no article like salt, outside water, by taxing which the State can reach even the starving millions, the sick, the maimed and the utterly helpless. The salt tax constitutes the most inhuman poll tax that the ingenuity of man can devise.”

— quoted from a letter by M. K. Gandhi, printed in Young India, Vol. XII, Ahmedabad: February 27, 1930

— quoted from “12. THE ADVENT OF SATYAGRAHA” in Satyagraha in South Africa by M. K. Gandhi (as published in THE SELECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI, VOLUME TWO, translated from the Gujarati by Valji Govindji Desai; General Editor Shriman Narayan)

Love does not burn others, it burns itself.”

— quoted from “Some Rules of Satyagraha” by M. K. Gandhi, printed in Young India, Vol. XII, Ahmedabad: February 27, 1930

“Agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love; it’s what theologians would call the love of God working in the lives of men.”

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (11/17/1957)

“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)

“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)

— quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics in the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)

### Be we are all accountable for our own thoughts, words, and deeds. ###

Truth, Love, and Reconciliation (mostly the music, quotes, & blessings) March 3, 2024

“Let us be practical and ask the question. How do we love our enemies?

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christmas 1957)

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon delivered at the Detroit Council of Churches’ Noon Lenten Services by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (circa March 7, 1961)

— quoted from the “Loving Your Enemies” sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christmas 1957)

### ###

Understanding [Your] Karma & Putting Cash in Your Karmic Bank Account (the “missing” Saturday post) January 13, 2024

— quoted from the Lion’s Roar article “Understanding Karma” by Reginald Rey

— quoted from the Lion’s Roar article “Understanding Karma” by Reginald Rey

“The literal meaning kriya is ‘verb.’ Every verb is representative of a distinct process or function and no process of function reaches fruition without a doer.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

“[Verse 1] I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on But that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

“[Verse 2] When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’”

— quoted from the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

“… Well, you wonder why I always dress in black Why you never see bright colors on my back And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

… I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime But is there because he’s a victim of the times”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

“Each week we lose a hundred fine young men

… And I wear it for the thousands who have died Believin’ that the Lord was on their side I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died Believin’ that we all were on their side

… Well, there’s things that never will be right, I know And things need changin’ everywhere you go But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right You’ll never see me wear a suit of white

… Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day And tell the world that everything’s okay But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back ’Til things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

— quoted from the song “The Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

“[Verse 1]
I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when
I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on
But that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone”

“[Verse 2]
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’”

“Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime
But is there because he’s a victim of the times”

And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin’ that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Believin’ that we all were on their side

… Well, there’s things that never will be right, I know
And things need changin’ everywhere you go
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You’ll never see me wear a suit of white

Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything’s okay
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
’Til things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

“[Verse 1]
I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when
I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on
But that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone”

“[Verse 2]
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’”

“… Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

… I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime
But is there because he’s a victim of the times”

… And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin’ that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Believin’ that we all were on their side

… Well, there’s things that never will be right, I know
And things need changin’ everywhere you go
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You’ll never see me wear a suit of white

… Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything’s okay
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
’Til things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.”

“If You See Something, Say Something^®”